MCS takes action against plastic beach litter in Scotland: Beachwatch 2008
MCS BEACHWATCH 2008
MCS takes action against plastic beach litter in Scotland
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) annual Beachwatch litter survey and clean-up takes place over the weekend of 20th-21st September 2008. Over 4,000 volunteers are expected to take part at over 360 beaches in the UK's biggest survey of its kind. The findings of Beachwatch 2008 will be instrumental in the continuing MCS campaign against plastic litter.
Of all the hazardous materials littering our seas today, plastic poses the greatest threat - it causes death and injury to hundreds of thousands of seabirds and other marine animals every year through ingestion (swallowing) and entanglement. Items of particular danger to marine wildlife include plastic bags, drink can yokes and fishing nets.
Over the past 15 years, plastic litter has consistently accounted for well over 50% of all litter found on beaches during MCS Beachwatch surveys, and the United Nations Environment Programme recently estimated that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter per square mile of the world's oceans!
Anne Saunders MCS Scottish Projects Officer says, "It's not too late to take part, and we need the public's help to survey more Scottish beaches to tackle the relentless tide of litter threatening our beaches and wildlife! This is your chance to get involved with the biggest litter clean-up and survey of beaches all around the UK." Anne continued, "The information collected will help MCS tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife".
Almost 4,000 volunteers took part during last year's MCS Beachwatch 2007 weekend, cleaning and surveying over 350 beaches and collecting over 2,700 bags of litter - a clear sign that beach litter is a major issue and is important to the UK public. In Scotland, 563 volunteers surveyed 46 beaches. This resulted in an average of 2,727 items of litter per kilometre, which equates to almost 3 items for every metre stretch of beach surveyed, and is higher than the UK average (2,054/km). MCS hopes that Scotland's love for the coast will mean that even more beaches will be involved in MCS Beachwatch 2008, making it the biggest survey to date.
MCS Adopt-a-Beach and MCS Beachwatch are supported by The Crown Estate. Fiona Wynne, Coastal Stewardship & Environment Manager at the Crown Estate says, "Taking part in Beachwatch is a great way to show you and your friends care about the marine environment. We would like to see many more volunteers joining in this year to make it an even greater success, so please make sure you contact MCS to get involved".
MCS Beachwatch 2008 event is supported by a number of sponsors: The Crown Estate, The Co-operative, London Aquarium, and charitable trusts: Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation.
MCS Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach project. The results from MCS Beachwatch are published each spring and used by MCS to campaign against the sources of beach litter at local, national and international levels. The data collected by MCS Beachwatch volunteers contributes to a worldwide project, the International Coastal Clean-up, which takes place in over 80 countries worldwide.
To see a list of beaches taking part in Beachwatch 2008 log onto http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/ and click on the "Beachwatch" 2008 event lists on the home page button. To register as an organiser or a volunteer, register online at: http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/ or call the MCS litter team on 01989 567807.
MCS staff will be organising their own beach cleans at:
Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland - Saturday 20th September, 10am, meet at the start of Cramond Causeway, contact Calum Duncan for more details: scotland@mcsuk.org - 0131 226 6360
Sand Bay, Somerset, England - Sunday 21st September, 12.15am, meet at Car park off Sand Road contact Sue Kinsey for more details: sue.kinsey@mcsuk.org - 01989 561586
Langland Bay, Swansea, Wales - Saturday 20th September, 10.30am, meet at the car park, Langland, contact: Gill Bell for more details: 01989 566017
ENDS
Photographs from last years event are available to download from
http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/pages/pressimages.php
Beachwatch 2008 Press Contacts:
Beachwatch contact number for the public - Tel: 01989 567807
For further information and interviews:
Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Coordinator - Tel: 01989 567807/ 07793 118388
Anne Saunders, MCS Scottish Projects Officer - Tel: 0131 226 2391 / 07894 566624
Sue Kinsey, MCS Adopt-a-Beach Officer - Tel: 01989 567807
Beachwatch contact number for the public - Tel: 01989 567807
Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager - Tel: 01989 561585 / 07793 118384
General Marine Conservation Society switchboard - Tel: 01989 566017
E-mail: beachwatch@mcsuk.org
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection of marine life. Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS provides information and guidance on many aspects of marine conservation and produces the annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk), the Good Fish Guide and www.fishonline.org on sustainable seafood, as well as promoting public participation in volunteer projects and surveys such as MCS Beachwatch, Adopt-a-Beach and Basking Shark Watch.www.mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is celebrating 25 years of protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife this year. MCS will be running a series of events and initiatives in 2008 to highlight the need for better protection of our seas, celebrate the wildlife they support and give opportunities for people to take an active part - on land or at sea. Log onto http://www.mcsuk.org/jubilee/upload.php
MCS Beachwatch is an annual UK-wide beach litter survey and clean up, organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) since 1993. MCS Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Adopt-a-Beach project, which encourages local volunteers to survey marine litter every quarter. Volunteers remove all the litter from a measured area of their local beach, recording every item that they find. The data gathered from MCS Beachwatch every September is published by MCS in the Beachwatch Report. This information is used at a national level to raise awareness of the impacts of litter, to promote measures to reduce litter at source and to campaign for aquatic litter legislation. The fifteenth MCS Beachwatch litter survey and beach clean took place on the 15th and 16th September 2007.
Summary of MCS Beachwatch 2007 results:
Volunteers
3,911
Number of beaches surveyed
354
Total length surveyed (km)
168.5
Number of bags
2,771
% Recreational & Beach Visitors
35.3
% Fishing
13.7
% Sewage Related Debris *
6.1
% Shipping
1.8
% Fly Tipped
0.9
% Medical
0.2
% Non - Sourced
41.9
Total number of items
346,054
Total volunteer hours
8375.47
Mean items/km
2,054
*If data from one beach where over 8,000 cotton bud sticks were recorded is removed, the percentage for SRD is 3.6%
The MCS Beachwatch 2007 Summary Report is now available from MCS and can be downloaded at www.mcsuk.org and www.adoptabeach.org.uk, alternatively the report can be emailed by request from beachwatch@mcsuk.org. The full report can also be downloaded at www.mcsuk.org and www.adoptabeach.org.uk.
MCS Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach project, which encourages local volunteers to adopt their favourite stretch of beach and take part in quarterly marine litter surveys and clean-ups. For further information please visit www.adoptabeach.org.uk.
The Crown Estate has supported the Marine Conservation Society's MCS Beachwatch campaign through its Marine Stewardship Fund since 1999. As owner of over half the UK's foreshore and almost all the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit The Crown Estate places great emphasis on the good management and stewardship of the diverse coastal land in its care. The Crown Estate works with many organisations throughout the UK including government departments, public bodies, environmental groups, industry and local communities to ensure appropriate development and conservation of the coastline. Beachwatch is an excellent example of The Crown Estate and the Marine Conservation Society working together for the eighth consecutive year to raise public awareness of marine pollution and encouraging participation at a local level. For more information about The Crown Estate visit www.thecrownestate.co.uk or contact: Katie King, Communications Dept, The Crown Estate: 020 7851 5009
katie.king@thecrownestate.co.uk
The International Coastal Cleanup, involving over 80 countries worldwide, is co-ordinated by the Ocean Conservancy in the United States, and provides a ‘snapshot' of the amounts and sources of litter being washed up or dumped on beaches around the world.
Marine Conservation Society
Registered Charity No: England and Wales No 1004005 Scotland No SC037480 Company Limited by Guarantee No: 2550966 Registered Office: Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Alton Road, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5NB
Call for action to protect sea life from plastic litter
The Prince of Wales has expressed his deep concern for the threat posed to marine life from increasing levels of plastic litter at sea and on the shore. At a reception last night (Thursday 11th September) to celebrate the Marine Conservation Society's 25th Anniversary His Royal Highness, President of the Society, highlighted plastic litter as one of the key threats to marine life in the 21st Century. The MCS role in tackling litter was commended by The Prince, highlighting the difference that thousands of volunteers were making through the annual MCS Beachwatch event which takes place on September 20th and 21st.
In a speech delivered to celebrate 25 years since the Marine Conservation Society was established, HRH congratulated the UK's leading marine environmental charity on an impressive record of achievement in their work for cleaner seas, sustainable fisheries and protection for Britain's marine wildlife. The Prince went on to highlight one of the key challenges of this century - plastic waste - a form of pollution on the increase on UK beaches and in seas around the world.
One of the birds most badly affected is the albatross, a bird for which The Prince developed a close affection whilst in the Royal Navy, when they would fly next to his ship every day. These magnificent birds are being found dead with their stomachs almost full to bursting with plastic litter of all kinds. Two of Britain's native breeding seabirds, the northern gannet and northern fulmar are equally threatened, as is the UK's largest marine reptile, the leatherback turtle. At the reception HRH was shown the plastic contents extracted from the stomach of one such turtle that was found washed up dead in Scotland.
Involving people in the fight for ocean recovery has been at the core of MCS success throughout its 25-year journey. But industry also has a key role to play and in recognition of their 25th Anniversary, MCS has established the Oceans 25 Ambassador partnership initiative to recognise, and work with, those businesses that are leading the field in developing sustainable practices in support of clean seas, sustainable fisheries and protection for marine wildlife. Four companies have pledged their support to help MCS achieve its mission, as founding members of the Oceans 25 Ambassador group - Loch Duart, Waitrose, Loch Fyne Oysters and Dragon Feeds.
The MCS Beachwatch event takes place on 20th and 21st September 2008, at hundreds of beaches all around the UK. To take part and help make Britain's seas and beaches cleaner and safer, go to www.adoptabeach.org.uk
For further information contact:
Mrs Sam Fanshawe, MCS Director - 07775 702 368
Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager - Tel: 01989 561585 /
Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Coordinator - Tel: 01989 567807/
Sue Kinsey, MCS Litter Policy Officer - Tel: 01989 567807
1. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is President of the Marine Conservation and hosted a reception at Clarence House on 11th September to celebrate MCS 25th Anniversary. 100 invited guests included representatives from government agencies, industry and media, funders and corporate sponsors, as well as individuals and staff who have supported MCS or contributed to marine conservation in the UK. To read the speech made by HRH at the MCS 25th Anniversary event please visit www.princeofwales.gov.uk
5.2.The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, protection of marine life and their habitats, and the sensitive use of our marine resources for future generations. Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS provides information and guidance on many aspects of marine conservation and produces the annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk), the Good Fish Guide and www.fishonline.org on sustainable seafood, as well as promoting public participation in volunteer projects and surveys such as Beachwatch, Adopt-a-Beach and Basking Shark Watch.www.mcsuk.org. In 2008, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is celebrating 25 years as the UK charity protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife. MCS will be running a series of events and initiatives in 2008 to highlight the need for better protection of our seas, celebrate the wildlife they support and give opportunities for people to take an active part - on land or at sea. Log onto http://www.mcsuk.org/jubilee/upload.php MCS is celebrating our relationship with our seas and beaches.
2.3.MCS Beachwatch is an annual UK-wide beach litter survey and clean up, organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) since 1993. Volunteers remove all the litter from a measured area of their local beach, recording every item that they find. The data gathered from Beachwatch every September is published by MCS and used at a national level to raise awareness of the impacts of litter and to promote measures to reduce litter at source . The results and report from Beachwatch 2007 can be downloaded at www.mcsuk.org and www.adoptabeach.org.uk. The MCS Beachwatch 2008 event is supported by a number of sponsors: Sea France, The Crown Estate, The Co-operative, London Aquarium, and charitable trusts: Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation.
3.4.Levels of plastic rubbish on UK beaches have increased over the 15 years that MCS has organised annual Beachwatch surveys. The MCS Beachwatch 2007 survey involved over 3,900 volunteers clearing over 350 beaches and showed that plastic litter on our beaches has increased by a staggering 126% since the annual survey began in 1994. Plastic debris now accounts for over 58% of all litter found on UK beaches, including plastic bags and plastic drinks bottles.
4.5.Many scientific studies are reporting high levels of litter, and plastic in particular, being ingested by marine animals. A large amount of plastic was taken from the gut of a female leatherback turtle that stranded dead at Wigton Bay, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland on 02.12.98. The plastic was obstructing the turtle's alimentary canal and the blockage was considered to have contributed to the animal's death. The debris included: 1 white plastic bag, 1 black plastic bin liner, 3 transparent plastic bags, 1 green plastic bag, 1 piece of soft blue plastic, 1 transparent, soft-plastic dairy sauce and 1 transparent plastic chicken meat bag.
6. Seabirds may confuse small plastic pellets with fish eggs and plankton and may even feed plastics to their chicks. Those birds most susceptible to ingestion of plastic particles are surface-feeders and plankton-feeders . Plastic may remain in a seabird's stomach for up to two years. The occurrence of brightly coloured plastic waste amongst the bones and feathers of carcasses suggests that hundreds or thousands of birds are ingesting large quantities of plastic, which may contribute to their deaths.
